The Russian (Michael Bennett, 13)

Michael gets his man—make that men—and a wife. It’s a good thing Michael never quits on anything. He’s in great shape thanks to Mary Catherine because he chases a killer all around Manhattan until the perp is, well, done in by a boat propeller. Then he chases down a serial killer—or is he a spy? We’ll, anyway, New York is safe again. This one is superb writing, a terrific story, and has a happy ending for the entire Bennett clan.

I have been a fan of James Patterson for a long time. The only problem I have is that once I start reading one of his books I can't put it down. (LOL) This book is no different. I'm writing this review at 1:30am when I should be sleeping.

Daniel Ott can blend into a crowd. The bland man whom you don’t remember after staring right in his face. He’s a computer whiz, talented and probably well-paid in his field of computer communications. He also despises pushy, mouthy American women, and NY women test him. Enough to brutally murder them. A serial killer. This we know. As detectives, Michael and his new young, barely tested partner Brett need to decipher a string of murders plaguing the region. But, are there one or two killers? And, are those murders isolated to the NYC area? With the impending marriage of Mary Catherine and Michael as a background, and pressure mounting from the Mayor and press, the partners build a new relationship while struggling to find clues. Brett makes a good addition to the broad cast of characters in the NYPD and FBI world who inhabit the Michael Bennett series. Will he last? Does Ott best them? We may already have a well cultivated dislike of at least some of the FBI characters, but be prepared to meet political skunk, John Macy, who reports to the Mayor. The story is classic Michael Bennett. It’s a good read, especially since much of the mystery is told from the perspective of a murderer.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that Patterson has sacrificed quality of writing for quantity of books? It seems that he has a new release every three weeks. With the exception of his YA series I believe that I have read at least 90% of what he, along with so many co-authors, has written. I keep hoping that his plots, along with the quality of writing will improve, but it just keeps getting worse. This book could have been written as a short story as so much the material had nothing to do with advancing the story. I think that I have finally reached the end of my James Patterson purchases.

Ever since James Patterson got a different coauthor, Michael Bennett books have not been the same, to my great dismay. This is my very favorite series that James Patterson has put out. I have been quite disappointed in the previous two books, the new coauthor simply doesn't know the characters as well as the original one did. However, The Russian is really quite good. The story is as usual a bit over the top but that's to be expected. That's a standard Patterson novel after all :) it does have a few unexpected twists. I do wish they had spent a bit more time on the family, especially since Michael and Mary Catherine are finally together forever! (yes I have been rooted for this since book one!). Overall, this is a pretty good book. Not as good as the original Michael Bennett books, but the new coauthor is definitely beginning to understand the characters more and write them better.